Insomnia

Insomnia is a heterogeneous disorder variously caused by a number of psychological, environmental, and biological factors. A growing literature on the 2 subtypes of insomnia most likely associated with predominantly psychological factors (psychophysiological and subjective insomnia) has suggested the possible role of physiological hyperactivity, cognitive intrusions, unusual sleep phenomenology, and deficient sensorimotor rhythm in the origins and maintenance of some forms of the disturbance. Preliminary evidence indicates that relaxation techniques, biofeedback, paradoxical intention, and stimulus control all contain active ingredients effective in reducing the subjective complaint of insomnia, with additional EEG documentation in the case of relaxation and biofeedback. (87 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).